French word

pirogue

Pronunciation

IPA/piʁɔg/

Meaning

  • feminine nouncanoe

Example

Regarde la pirogue près du quai.

Look at the canoe near the pier.

Illustration for pirogue (canoe)

More examples

Ils ont traversé le lac en pirogue.

They crossed the lake by canoe.

Core concept

A narrow dugout boat moved with a paddle.

Common phrases

  • en pirogue

    by canoe

  • monter à bord de la pirogue

    board the canoe

  • ramer dans la pirogue

    row in the canoe

Similar words

bateau: A vessel of any size used to transport people or cargo on water.
canoë: A slim boat paddled from a seated or kneeling position with one or two paddles.
kayak: A pointed one- or two-person boat paddled with a double-ended paddle while seated.

Definition in French

Petite embarcation étroite, souvent creusée dans un tronc et propulsée à la pagaie.

Word origin

French pirogue was borrowed from Spanish piragua, a word that came from an Indigenous Caribbean language.

Usage tips

  • Pirogue is feminine, so standard French uses une pirogue and la pirogue.

Other meanings

  • dugout canoenoun

Related words

  • piroguiercanoeistnoun

Word lists with this word